Good Morning, Golden Arches

Two members of the Apley family (three, if you count Myshka) decided to start their day at 4:45am this morning. Fun. 

This little girl was one of the early risers. 

But, really, it was this guy who started the day first. 

Neat outfit, don't you think? Shorts and rain boots are very in these days.

After 1 1/2 hours of trying to get everyone back to sleep, we threw in the towel and went out for breakfast. Where do you go with two kids at 6:30am? McDonald's, of course!

Good morning! 

Looks pretty fun, doesn't it? 

I think Peter was on his third bag of apple slices by this point. Who goes to McDonald's and eats apple slices? 

"I love Cheerios!" 

Peter wouldn't let anyone touch his hash brown. You can see he did an excellent job cutting it into small pieces. 

Thanks for a fun morning, McDonald's!

A Day at the Beach

This delightful spot is the Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica.  

Doesn't it look fantastic here?

Peter contemplated the splash pad for a while. 

From a couple of different angles. 

Eventually, he braved it and ran through the water. Fun!

Clara was happy with her view from afar. 

Look at those two chompers she has! 

Peter convinced his dad to go all the way down to the ocean and they splashed in the big waves. Super cool. 

And we all know how much this little boy loves sand. 

What a fun day! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I cooked for what seemed like weeks. These are the green beans I bought at the Beverly Hills Farmers Market for green bean casserole (which I don't even like). 

Mise en place for Tom Colicchio's herb butter turkey gravy base. 

Dressing. Everyone's favorite, according to an informal poll of our guests. 

The morning of Thanksgiving, Peter helped me to make place cards with stickers and crayons. 

Clara helped, too. 

Herb butter turkey before it went into the oven. 

Our guests arrived. We loved having the Hedges family - Billie and her boyfriend, Matt, are on the left and Mac is on the right. 

Look at that delicious turkey (and Uncle Tom in the background). 

The table was set beautifully, if I do say so myself. 

Clara was the first to eat. Puffs. Yum. 

What a sweet girl. 

Cousin Mac and Silke. 

Hey, T, what are you doing at the table all by yourself? 

Cousin Ted helped Peter blow out all of the candles. It was the best part of the night. 

These are the centerpieces my Mister made.

So beautiful, don't you think? Happy Thanksgiving! 

Two Little Monkeys

Peter's latest obsession is hanging out in Clara's crib. 

Clara loves it, too. 

"Here's your bunny, Clara." 

"Hi, Mom." 

"It's really fun in here!" 

Peter also really likes to jump. Yikes. 

So far, Clara doesn't seem to mind too much. 

Silly kids. 

Peter Goes to the Dentist

Today was a big day for Peter. It was his first trip to the dentist!

Here he is waiting for his appointment and checking out the cool fish tank. 

Rumi, his dental hygienist, showed Peter the right way to brush. Huh, funny. You mean it isn't just sucking the toothpaste off the brush? 

Peter was so good about letting Rumi get in there to brush his teeth. 

Seriously, look at that! I don't know how she did it. 

Oh... wait... Now I get it. Thank you, Dora the Explorer. 

Peter got to pick a little treat after his visit. Check out all of these cool options. Sunglasses, finger puppets, a little car... Peter ended up choosing a plastic worm. 

Hooray, Peter!